Disney Wants Drones to Fly Alongside Dumbo

No-fly zones are generally a military agreement, often implemented to prevent escalation of a preexisting conflict. But two such restricted areas in the U.S. are not war zones—they're "the Happiest Place on Earth," and "the Most Magical Place on Earth," aka Disneyland and Disney World, respectively. Originally, Disney lobbied to prevent air traffic over the the two Magic Kingdoms as a matter of national security, saying that such a large gathering of people in a quintessentially American setting was a natural target. (Others suspected the company merely wanted to restrict any potential advertisers overhead.) It was successful, but the corporation is now seeking an exception to its previous exception because it wants to fly drones through the parks. The drones are expected to be used during the parks' famed evening light shows, but it faces some legal hurdles. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), says that drones may not be flown over stadiums or airshows or sporting events and must always be used a sufficient distance from populated areas. And presently, the FAA does not recognize any "special UAS airspaces"—in other words, what goes for a normal commercial plane goes for a drone. Which makes them a no-go in a

No-fly zones are generally a military agreement, often implemented to prevent escalation of a preexisting conflict. But two such restricted areas in the U.S. are not war zones—they're "the Happiest Place on Earth," and "the Most Magical Place on Earth," aka Disneyland and Disney World, respectively.

Originally, Disney lobbied to prevent air traffic over the the two Magic Kingdoms as a matter of national security, saying that such a large gathering of people in a quintessentially American setting was a natural target. (Others suspected the company merely wanted to restrict any potential advertisers overhead.) It was successful, but the corporation is now seeking an exception to its previous exception because it wants to fly drones through the parks.

The drones are expected to be used during the parks' famed evening light shows, but it faces some legal hurdles. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), says that drones may not be flown over stadiums or airshows or sporting events and must always be used a sufficient distance from populated areas. And presently, the FAA does not recognize any "special UAS airspaces"—in other words, what goes for a normal commercial plane goes for a drone. Which makes them a no-go in a no-fly zone.